Page 31 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

afternoon.”

In closing an order make everything as simple as possible, and get the
prospect to take some first, easy steps toward signing. A typewriter salesman
had the president of a large company convinced that his machine was right.
But there were some twenty-five old machines to be listed for tradein and a
contract to be drawn. The salesman saw that the president, who was
accustomed to “okaying” memoranda which had been prepared for him, was
busy. Had he waited for the president to ask someone to list all the old
typewriters to be traded in and to draw up the contract, he would never have
obtained the order.

The salesman went out of the president’s office, tore off a sheet of wrapping
paper. On it he listed the serial numbers of all machines which were to be
traded in. Under the list he wrote, “$21 allowance on these machines.” Back
into the president’s office went the salesman. He showed the president the
memorandum and said, “Just okay this and I will have your purchasing agent
prepare the order.” The president scribbled his initials and his okay in a jiffy.
Later the salesman went to the purchasing agent who prepared a formal
purchase order for the twenty-five new typewriters. The salesman had made
the job of buying as simple as possible.

At the first sign of agreement on the part of the prospect, the wise salesman
“asks for the order.” If he can’t close at this point, he goes right on
explaining, even in some cases, repeating things he has said before. Then he
asks for the order again. More men make the mistake of asking for the order
too late than too soon. Remember this point when selling—ask for the order
five times before you give up. Very often a prospect will spar and feint by
saying he will check his stock and let you know. Or he will tell you that he
will find out what color, or what size, or what quantity is needed. Here is
where the salesman shows whether he is really an order getter, or just a
solicitor. If he is really a salesman he’ll say, “That’s fine, Mr. Prospect, just
okay this order with the color (or size or quantity) left blank and I will have
your clerk (assistant bookkeeper, or secretary) fill in the details.”

Not long before this was written a salesman was trying to sell a landlord a